


Set a trap, catch a rat

by Zayna7



Category: Toy Soldiers (1991)
Genre: Pranks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:40:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24319720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zayna7/pseuds/Zayna7
Summary: Written for an English assignment. Joey, Billy and Snuffly get into a fight with the son of Americas star footballer, Ben, after he insults Joey. When they're sent to the principles office, they get punished while Ben goes free. The trio figure out a prank to get back at the principle, but they find something a lot better. Short one-shot based on the book with inspiration from the movie.
Kudos: 1





	Set a trap, catch a rat

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, please keep in mind that this was written for a school English assignment with a due date and word count limit. I decided to publish it since I want to contribute to the small amount (but still really good) of fanfics for this fandom, and this is probably the only fic I'll be able to write for a while.

Snuffy paced in front of the principal's office, his breathing getting louder.  
“Sit down Snuffy, before you give yourself an asthma attack.” Billy said, holding a blood drenched towel against his nose. Joey was sitting next to him, an ice pack against his left eye.  
“Asthma attack? What about the broken jaw you gave ‘America's golden boy’?” Snuffy turned and yelled at his two friends. Behind Snuffy, the principal’s door opened, and out walked America's next greatest football player, and his son, the boy now sporting a nasty looking bruise along his square jaw. Father and son glared at the three boys as they walked past. Snuffy waited until they'd left the office before he broke down.  
“Oh my God I'm gonna be expelled!” he wailed.  
“Calm down Snuffy, you didn't even hit the guy.” Billy said, starting to tire of Snuffy's hysterics. Joey hadn't said anything, just kept readjusting the ice pack against his eye, the swelling and dark bruise already starting to show.  
“I was there! And old Rat isn't gonna care about what I say.” Snuffy said, voice only slightly less hysteric than before.  
“Excuse me boys, I'm ready to talk to you now.” a deep voice said from the doorway. Somehow, Snuffy looked even paler, realising he just called the Principle ‘Rat’ right outside his office. While it's common among the classrooms and dorms, especially after the long speeches during assembly, the nickname for their principle is something the boys would never say to his face.  
Snuffy waited for Billy and Joey to walk inside the office first, and refused to make eye contact with anything except his shoes.  
“So boys, clearly there has been a fight.”  
“Only because Ben insulted Joey, he thinks he's above everyone else because his fathers a football champion!” Billy said, immediately laying down a defence for the boys. Joey remained quiet, and Snuffy was too embarrassed to say anything.  
“And Snuffy didn't even touch the guy.” Billy added, Snuffy giving him a grateful smile.  
“I understand some words were said, and I will deal with Jimmy in due time, but that does not excuse the violence you three caused!” the principal declared.  
“But sir, he hit back first! Do ya think Joey and myself gave ourselves this?” Billy protested, gesturing at his nose and Joey's eye.  
“I didn't punch anyone sir.” Snuffy muttered.  
“Nevertheless, you three where part of a violent act that I will not tolerate in this school.” the principal continued. “6 months on pots and pans. I'm sure you'll find plenty to discuss together. And be thankful I'm not making you complete it separately.” He said, gesturing at them to leave the room.  
Joey stood up and left, stalking out without a second glance back at the room. Snuffy left immediately after, grateful for anything less than complete expulsion. But Billy stayed, looking indignantly at the Principal sitting behind his desk reading through papers.  
“Sir, he really did say horrible things to Joey, you know the other boys give him shit for his Father being in the Mafia.”  
“Language Mr. Tepper. And yes I understand Mr Trotta's trouble fitting in, I'm glad he's found friends in you and Mr Bradberry.” the principal muttered, not even looking up from his papers.  
Billy left the office fuming. He jogged to catch up with Snuffy and Joey, a plan already forming in his head.  
“Hey, I know how we can get back at the old rat, pots and pans for 6 months isn’t fair and we all know it.” Billy said, glancing around the corridor in case any teachers are within listening distance, putting his arms around the two boys shoulders.  
“No Billy, I don't want to push it, I thought I was a goner after he heard me call him ‘Rat’.” Snuffy insisted, pushing Billy off. Joey, to his credit, actually looked interested in what Billy had to say.  
“Cmon Snuffy, lighten up, the old Rat deserves what's coming to him.” Billy said, stopping in front of the third floor bathroom. “Besides, the plan’s so well thought out, it can't go wrong.” Billy said with a confident smirk.  
Billy pushed through the door to the bathroom, leading Joey through. Billy waited in front of the sinks, washing off some of the dried blood away as he waited for Snuffy to join them. Reluctantly, the door opened and Snuffy walked in.  
“Fine, but you better take the fall if we're caught.” Snuffy crossed his arms and waited for Billy to continue with the plan.  
“Look up,” Billy pointed at the roof, a square manhole in the corner. “We can sneak through there and into the vents leading to the Rats office, open the door and,” Billy paused for effect, Joey and Snuffy leaned closer to hear the plan. “Remove every piece of furniture from his office, and put it on the soccer field.”  
There's a pause as they think about it.  
“You're crazy,” Joey finally said, “they'll hear us moving it.”  
“No , they won't, all the dorms are on the third and second floor, and there's a storm forecast all tonight and tomorrow.”  
Joey and Snuffy looked at each other,  
“Can we put cheese on the table?” Joey asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
“That's the spirit Joey,” Billy said, clapping him on the back. ‘I've got the perfect piece of cheddar for the rat.”  
________________________________________________________________________________

Rather than figure out a time to meet, the trio went straight to Billys dorm after dinner and wasted time drinking cheap vodka Billy snuck in months ago and playing stupid games taht progessively got worse the more they drank.  
Once the storm started, the dark clouds rolling over the hills to provide the perfect cover for nighttime pranks.  
They lifted Billy into the vent first. Snuffy and Joey replaced the cover before sneaking down to the first floor. They sat once again in the chairs outside the principal's door, only this time, they were expecting someone else to open the door.  
Billy opens the door minutes later. He'd drawn the curtains and turned on the light, illuminating the paper covered desk, bookcase, 2 chairs, filing cabinet and single small corner table complete with a pot plant.  
They started with a chair each and the small corner table, leaving the pot plant on the floor. They put them just outside the front door, underneath the small verandah so as to not get the carpet wet on their multiple trips back inside.  
The desk was the tricky part. Billy spent a good ten minutes studying it before removing each pile of papers one by one. Joey and Snuffy used this time to move the filing cabinet to the verandah together, but only Snuffy came back.  
“Joey’s trying to pick the lock on the filing cabinet, something about trying to find student records.” Snuffy says, starting to take the books of the bookshelf.  
“Fine with me, make sure those stay in order, I want this to be perfect.” Billy said, still focused on removing the papers.  
10 minutes later, Snuffy and Billy moved the desk out onto the verandah, panting with the effort.  
Joey was still working on the filing cabinet, a collection of bobby pins and wires sticking out of the lock.  
“Think you can do it?” Billy said, looking over Joey's shoulder.  
“One of the only good things my dads ever taught me.” Joey muttered, still intent on picking the lock.  
Billy and Snuffy returned to the office for the bookshelf, leaving only the papers, books and pot plant inside the room. They took a break outside and watched the rain drip over the verandah, the distant cracks of lightning illuminating the hills. Joey finally opened the filing cabinet, making Billy and Snuffy race over to look. From the cabinet they pulled student files and decades long accounting papers, leaving the more boring in the draws while they poured over the juicier student files.  
“Hey guys, look at this.” Joey held up a small rectangular piece of paper.  
“It's a cheque,” Snuffy said, grabbing it to get a closer look. “$1000, from Ben's dad, today. He must've written it today when he was in the principal's office.”  
“The bastard bribed the Rat to get Ben out of trouble.” Billy said, having a look at the cheque himself.  
Joey slammed the filing cabinet, the bobby pins and wires clattering to the ground. Billy glanced at the dorm windows, but no lights were turned on.  
“Hey, don't worry, we’re the ones with the cheque now, we’ll make sure the Rat doesn't get the money.” Billy said, “Now, let's finish what we started.”  
Down on the field, Snuffy brought the final pot plant out and set it on the desk while Billy added the final touches to the desk. Joey had left to retrieve the round block of cheese from the cellar where Billy kept it for his previous cheese related pranks on the Rat. Although Joey came back with something else to add.  
“Look at this,” Joey said, setting the block of cheese on the desk with a splash. He showed his friends a mousetrap with the cheque placed where the bait would be.  
“Set a trap, catch a rat,” Billy said, placing the cheese and trap on the desk, making sure the cheque was in the rain.  
The boys snuck inside, dripping from rain and giggling amongst themselves. They carried their shoes in their hands to avoid trekking mud through the hallway and made it back to their rooms without any lights switching on, teachers yelling or alarms going off. All of them agreed; this was Billy’s most successful prank yet.


End file.
